Thursday, September 20, 2007

Ohio Campus Stop For Dee Dee Myers: Hints At Clinton Zipper Trouble

OXFORD, Ohio -- Former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers made a lecture stop at Miami University earlier this week and seems to have dropped a political bomb on Bill Clinton, her old boss. She said Democrats should not delude themselves into believing the "issues" between Bill and Hillary are cleared up: "They're not."

Dee Dee's sister, Betsy, is the chief operating officer of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's Democratic presidential campaign. That makes it noticeable when Dee Dee alludes briefly but bluntly to a shaky spousal relationship between Bill and Hillary, a relationship that has been tested by the former president's sexual unfaithfulness. Dee Dee was the Clinton campaign press secretary when Bill's Arkansas fling with Gennifer Flowers boiled over and nearly wrecked his chances. She was gone by the time of Monica Lewinsky, but obviously knew Clinton had zipper problems. It could be that Dee Dee wanted to aid Obama -- who by all accounts is happily married -- by mentioning that things are still not solid between between the former first couple. She seemed to warn that Democrats should not forget Bill Clinton's roving eye as they enter 2008 presidential primary season with Hillary leading the polls, that disaster could be a bimbo away.

Peter Bronson, a conservative columnist at the Cincinnati Enquirer, captured the essence of what Myers said as she lectured jointly with Scott McClellan, a former Bush II White House spokesman:

"Myers had more doubts about another President Clinton than McClellan. 'Never underestimate the ability of Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory,' she said. Hillary 'is a woman who is married to Bill Clinton,' she said. 'Democrats think those issues have been resolved. They're not.'"

A link to the complete version of Bronson's column is available through the Miami University public affairs office Web portal. Myers did not directly mention Bill Clinton's zipper problem, but her meaning came through loud and clear with the code words "those issues."